Fate's fickle hand
by sinistersmiles
Summary: [AU, Slash TRHP, Time Travel] Dark and prodigious Tom Riddle can manipulate everyone to his advantage until he encounters mysterious and enchanting Hadrian Beaumont a.k.a., Harry Potter.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: _Fate's Fickle Hand_**

**Author: _Sinistersmiles_**

**Disclaimer: _I do not own The Harry Potter series. _**

**Warnings: _SLASH! Tom Riddle/Harry Potter. Severus Snape is Harry's father. Occasional grammar and spelling mistakes might occur, as English is not my primary language. Dark Harry! Time Travel!_**

**Summery: _Dark and prodigious; Tom Riddle can manipulate everyone to his advantage until he encounters the mysterious and enchanting Hadrian Beaumont. What he does not know is that Hadrian Beaumont is his soul mate, who was previously known as Harry James Potter._**

xxxxx

Dumbledore sighed and looked at the parchment in front of him again.

He had thought that everything was going so well. They had finally managed to kill Voldemort and capture his death-eaters with minimal causalities. The shadow of darkness over their world had receded and everyone was relieved and somewhat happy, nursing their wounds and building families.

Everyone but the Savior of the Wizarding World, one Harry James Potter.

Of course, no one noticed, not even Albus but Severus was the first one to bring his attention towards it.

'_The boy has lost his soul, Albus. I can see it in his eyes._'

Severus was apt in his observation as always but for the life of him, he could not understand why. All of Harry's friends had survived. He had a pleasant life and Dumbledore had heard rumors Molly Weasley pushing for Ginny and Harry's marriage.

Not that it would happen soon, Harry still had one more year until he graduated from school and Ginny had two. Moreover, despite outward appearances, Albus knew that there was no love between the youngest Weasley and Harry. In fact, it would be safe to assume that Harry had totally given up on love.

The boy had distanced himself from his friends and comrades. He had taken to spending time in the library or in the Chamber of Secrets knowing no one could follow him there to try to cheer him up.

Harry had done what he was destined to do. When Voldemort had tried to possess Harry, something unknown in the boy just snapped and consumed the Dark Lord's Soul. It was as though a Dementor had kissed Voldemort. Albus had then killed at soul-less body and burned it.

While the entire wizarding world rejoiced, Harry had been mourning.

Albus never realized why until now.

In the parchment cradled delicately in his grasp was the reason. It was the result of a simple spell. The spell was used to identify if a person had a soul mate or not.

Harry had one.

His name was Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Albus rested the parchment on the desk and laid his head in his arms. Seeing this, Severus walked up to the desk and read the result. The Potions Master paled and collapsed onto his chair.

"Dear Merlin…" Severus whispered and looked at the dejected poster of Dumbledore with wide eyes.

Albus sighed, "My poor Harry." The headmaster whispered in an uncharacteristically defeated tone. "And he already knew, he had knelt besides Voldemort's body and cried and I thought they were tears of relief."

Severus tensed and his face became stony with determination.

"He is my son." The Potions Master whispered.

Albus nodded, "I know that Severus, but this matter cannot be helped. Harry will never know happiness. Even if he knew that you are his father, it would not ease the pain in Harry's heart. It is too late, my dear boy."

The headmaster's pessimistic attitude surprised him but Severus knew that nothing short of death will ease Harry's pain. That observation brought dread to his heart and he knew what he had to do.

"Albus…" he whispered softly, with conviction and the ancient wizard looked at him with concern, "You have had my son for sixteen years. You left him in his aunt's dubious care, I did not dare object, you asked me not to reveal my relationship with him and maintain my distance, I agreed. You asked me to train him to the point of exhaustion and watch over him while he risked his life for this world, I did. However, you cannot ask me to watch him die, Albus. He defines my existence. Without him, I cannot live and nor am I willing to live."

"Severus…"

"No Albus." Severus whispered with utmost certainty, "He is my blood, my soul and my child. I have no other reason to live but him and I will not allow you to let him waste away… I cannot." The Potions Master took a deep breath, "You will have my resignation on your desk tonight. I suggest you summon Miss Veronica White to take over my post as the Potions Professor; she is very skilled and will be a good teacher. I know that she will not refuse."

He stood and started walking towards the door, "I will be withdrawing Harry from this school and taking him with me."

"What are you planning to do, Severus?" Albus asked in a low, pained whisper.

Severus looked at him from over his shoulder, "My son needs Tom Riddle. I will give him Tom Riddle and a chance for a normal life."

Albus's eyes widened and he shook his head, "Severus be reasonable… there is no need for such drastic-"

"I do not wish to be reasonable Dumbledore. It is obvious that my son is not selfish enough to take care of his own needs so I will be selfish for him. You have accomplished your purpose; the wizarding world is safe now. Leave us be."

Just as Severus was about to leave, Albus leaned back and spoke, "I am a very old man, Severus and I have seen young lives flourish within these walls before disappearing into the outside world, some successful, some struggling but they have always found some happiness." The Great wizard shook his head slightly, "Your son is most dear to me Severus and if you think that you can help him, I will not stop you. My dear boy, I wish you good fortune and happiness. Enjoy fatherhood, Severus Snape."

Severus nodded curtly and stepped out of the office only to find Harry standing in front of him.

The older man stilled and peered into his son's impassive eyes, "Were you eavesdropping, Mr. Potter?"

"When someone discusses about me, it would be only natural for me to eavesdrop now, wouldn't it father?" Harry whispered stonily before grasping Severus' hand in a vice-like grip and dragging him along. "I do believe that it is time for you to confess your sins, professor. You claim to care for me, I would like for you to prove it by telling me all your secrets that are related to me and my mother… supposing Lily Potter was really my mother."

Severus raised a brow in amusement, his obsidian gaze landing on pale little fingers that now circled his wrist. He humored his son and willingly allowed himself to be dragged.

He was being taken to the Room of Requirement.

The door shut behind him in a slam and Harry settled himself on the couch with an icy glare towards his father. "Now, let's start shall we?"

Severus closed his eyes and leaned back tiredly, "Well, I suppose I must start from the beginning." He paused a moment before looking into Harry's eyes, "You suspicions are correct, Lily Potter was not your birth mother. You real mother was Adrianna Malfoy Snape. She was Lucius' sister and my wife."

Harry scowled but did not say anything. He did not cherish the fact that he was related to the Malfoys, even if he had come to tolerate Draco to an extent and that was only because Ginny was in love with the ferret.

"She was the one to give you to Lily, without my consent, because she was terrified of the kind of life you would have if the Dark Lord took notice of you. She died a month after you were born."

Harry laughed dryly and looked at Severus with hollow eyes, "A life no worse than the one I lead now, I do not doubt that. Had I not been raised with values of the so called '_Light side_' perfectly nurtured to be a Saintly Golden boy, I might have been with Tom… rejoicing in the glory of love that knows no bounds… even in death."

"Harry…"

The boy waved him off and turned his head away.

Severus' eyes darkened in an echo of his son's pain. "Harry… he was not someone who could comprehend your love. He gave up on it a long time ago."

The young boy sighed and closed his eyes. "You think that I am not aware of that?"

"Why did you kill him then?" Severus questioned softly, "Why, when you knew that he was you soul mate?"

"In killing him, I saved him." Harry whispered and wrapped his arms around himself.

Looking at Harry suffering for Voldemort in such a manner brought rage to his heart but he suppressed it knowing that the love that came with a soul bond was blind and intense. The fact that Harry even managed to kill Voldemort and survive the agony of his death was a miracle.

Harry cleared his throat and tentatively looked at Severus, a question in his eyes, "What were the both of you discussing in the office? Why in the world would you resign?"

Severus sighed and closed his eyes, "The House of Snape is an old pureblood family Harry, and we have many secrets. One of those secrets is a very ancient dark spell. It will transport us back in an alternate version of the past. The moment we reach there, we will replace our alternate versions."

Harry raised a brow, immensely surprised but wary, "What is the catch?"

Severus smirked, "Why, Mr. Potter, that is a rather Slytherin-like question."

Harry frowned in disapproval at the remark, "Different people cannot be categorized into four distinct groups, professor. You should know better. If it were that easy, the world would be terribly dull and predictable. Onto serious matters please?"

Severus nodded, he was proud of his son's maturity, "There are many problems that could occur. There is a chance that we might be unsuccessful and die a very unpleasant death. There is also a chance that Tom Riddle may not be your soul mate in the alternate version of the past and the whole journey might prove useless. There is also a chance that you may not be able to accept Tom. I know for a fact that if in that dimension Tom Riddle is not your soul mate than your death will come sooner than expected."

The calculating mind was awash with plans as the Potion's master spoke, "I will be known as Severus Alexander Beaumont and you, of course will be my son Hadrian Lucian Beaumont. You will be joining Hogwarts for the seventh year."

"I will not start a relationship with Tom Riddle, sir." Harry whispered and smiled solemnly when the Potions Master directed his startled gaze towards him. "I wouldn't be able to stand it but his existence would allow me to live. The fact that he is alive and well is enough for me to stay alive."

Severus snorted at his self-sacrificing attitude and raised a mocking brow, "I thought that you were smart, Harry. What makes you think that Tom Riddle will let you be? You do know that if you are his soul mate than he will pursue you?"

Harry mimicked Severus' gesture perfectly, "And I am stubborn enough not to give in… not if he is the same person who wouldn't hesitate to kill innocent people."

Severus leaned forward and grasped Harry's chin in a firm grip, "Stop pretending to be a naïve child, my heir." He whispered dangerously, "I am not Dumbledore; I am not someone who expects you to be a child with an adolescent mindset. You are far too mature intellectually to believe that Tom Riddle will leave his malicious ways because you asked him to. _Kill innocent people,_ that is the way of the world, a constant struggle and it will always be there as long as the Ministry is corrupt and several factions of the society are being suppressed."

Harry nodded solemnly and leaned back. "You were loyal to him."

"I was." Severus said slowly, "Voldemort as you knew him and the Dark Lord that I knew were different. Even Dumbledore agreed with the Dark Lord's ideals but not his methods."

"And what were his ideals?" Harry questioned tightly, "Are they worth killing and torturing people?"

"Did you know that every freedom fighter is a terrorist until he achieves that freedom?" Severus questioned casually and Harry frowned. The older wizard continued, he knew his son was a practical person, Harry would understand, "You have read Salazar Slytherin's Parseltongue journals have you not?"

Harry nodded reluctantly.

"Then you know what he suspected." Severus observed.

Harry sighed and smiled, "I would say that he was right in what he suspected. In fact, I know that he was correct."

Severus raised a brow, "And what is it that you know, dear heir?" he questioned silkily, intrigued.

Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose and frowned, "What Slytherin suspects is partly right. You see, according to him, wizards belong to two distinct categories. There are those are proficient is performing light spells and those who are very good in performing dark magic."

"And dark magic is not evil." Severus informed.

The boy shrugged elegantly and smiled at his father, "Yes, but Salazar Slytherin did not understand the sheer complexity of magic itself. He focused too much on spells and wizards and even blood."

Severus raised a brow, "You suppose that you know more than a man who was known to be a genius?"

"He may have been a genius," Harry drawled softly, his killing curse eyes mesmerizing the older man by their sheer magnificence, "But he did not have the sight to see magic."

Severus raised his brow skeptically. The young man before him smirked and answered his unasked question. "You know what blood types are, don't you? A…B...O?" At the professor's nod, Harry continued, "Magical beings have different types of magic. In simple terms, I could categorize them into White, Black and Grey but that would not be an accurate description. What people suppose to be _light magic_ is actually, burning, fiery red."

"Red?" Severus questioned, intrigued and he leaned forward in anticipation of an intellectual conversation. "Yes, Red. Magic that is based on love, life and birth. It is passionate and full of life. Then there is neutral magic. Healing arts and Potions are usually a branch of this magic. It is the color of Slytherin green. Anyone who endeavors to learn these fields of magic can perform it. I would say that Necromancy also comes under this branch of magic."

"Necromancy is considered the darkest of dark magic, son. It is not neutral." Severus argued but Harry snorted and looked at the wizard in the eye. "What if I say that the Patronus charm is dark?"

Severus scowled, "I would not believe you."

"Why?" Harry questioned curiously.

"It is a spell that is used to protect you from dark creatures Harry. It is a spell that you are able to perform with astonishing ease."

"That is because my magic is dark, dearest father and so is yours. It is the color of icy blue." Harry smirked slightly at his startled expression and continued, "I am capable of doing light spells but I can never be proficient at them but I can master every dark spell there is without much trouble. Dark rituals intrigue me but I cannot perform a simple healing spell without much effort. You must understand. The color of spells does not indicate the type of magic that is used. Nearly all spells are produced by weaving strands of magic together. In weaving magic, the color of the spell is what the creator of the spell desires it to be."

Severus frowned. There seemed to be no logical reason why the color of magic and the color of spells should be different.

"There is a consequence though. A light wizard can only handle that much of dark magic and a dark wizard cannot tolerate too much light magic. It goes against their very being. This is precisely the reason why there are always Dark Lords popping up. When a Light wizard performs too much dark magic, he will lose his mind. When a dark wizard uses too much light magic, he will start to lose his hold on magic." Harry shook his head and sighed ruefully, "The world is on the verge of decay because of this. When the authorities try to stop the use of dark magic entirely, they are weakening the dark wizard population and that would ultimately lead to draining of all magic there is and we will be nothing but ordinary muggles."

Severus frowned thoughtfully, "So, you are saying that a magical being is born with a proficiency in one particular form of magic?"

Harry scowled and shook his head, "Well, talent of course will vary from person to person. For e.g., Hermione is a very talented light witch, she may not have the power to back it up, but she is very talented. However, Ron is not talented and he has power. He too, of course is a light wizard."

The Boy Who Lived smirked slyly, "I will let you in on a secret." He leaned forward, "The Sorting Hat mostly puts all Light Wizards into Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Slytherin and Ravenclaw usually get Dark Wizards."

Severus raised a brow, "Then how did you, a dark wizard, land up in Gryffindor?"

The boy sighed, "Call it the ignorance of youth. The general opinion about Slytherins influenced my decision. I was so hungry for acceptance and friendship that I thought Slytherin was a bad choice for me even before I considered it from an unbiased point of view. I let Hagrid, Ron and Malfoy discourage me and begged the Sorting Hat not to put me in Slytherin."

Severus scowled fiercely, "You were supposed to be in Slytherin?"

Harry nodded, "Well, I have certain qualities that make me a quintessential Slytherin. Moreover, I am a Parselmouth. Besides, I am not of Gryffindor mentality, as much as I would like to be. I do not understand them and am rather averse towards Light magic and their biased attitude."

Severus shook his head and turned back to the original topic, "So you mean to say that unless Dark Arts are legalized and all dark creatures are given the necessary freedom with some essential restrictions, there will always be a rebellion?" The Potions Master questioned and Harry, with a sigh he closed his eyes when he spotted Severus' smug smirk. "This is exactly what Tom wanted didn't he?"

"Well," Severus admitted, "I concede that he did not know as much as you do and he does carry a lot of resentment towards muggles and muggle-born."

Harry nodded, "Well, I can understand that." The boy smiled, "You see, there an odd logic here. Muggle born children have this drive to prove themselves and most of them are unusually talented. Like Hermione and Lily Potter. However, not one of them is very powerful. They succeed only on the basis of their talent and nothing else."

Severus raised an astonished brow. "Half-bloods are always weaker than most unless there is a very powerful bloodline on the _maternal _side."

"Maternal side?" The Potions master questioned with a frown.

Harry nodded, "The Maternal bloodline should be powerful and pure because magic children share their mother's magic during the pregnancy. If that is so then the children are _powerful. _Take for example, our dear Lord Voldemort and Albus Dumbledore."

"And what of purebloods?" Severus questioned.

Harry smirked, "Purebloods are usually the strongest… no matter what anyone else believes. Only those families that practice inbreeding lose much of their potential. Purebloods inherit generations' worth of magical evolution and their talents are very diverse. The older the line, the more diverse their talents get. Moreover, they are also the ones who preserve the unique culture of the magical world, which is a necessity."

Severus raised a questioning brow, "What about fresh blood? How can one prevent inbreeding?"

Harry frowned, "The children of magical people are essentially purebloods. Say supposing, two muggle-borns produce a child, the child will be a first generation pureblood. It inherits many magical abilities from its parents and therefore there is an emergence of a new pureblood family. I am not insisting on purity of blood in the same context as Lucius Malfoy does, sir. Pureblood children evolve with every successive generation. When a wizard produces a child with a muggle female, the magic _is_ diluted therefore resulting in a half-blood child. There is little evolution then."

Severus leaned back and frowned thoughtfully. What Harry was saying made a lot of sense. It was a rather compelling argument and he just couldn't help but feel that if Voldemort had realized this, many problems could have been avoided.

"The other problem arises when muggle born children and most half-bloods do not bother to learn of our world and therefore muggle ideals are increasingly influencing our people."

Harry shook his head in slight dismay and Severus could see the similarity between his son and his Lord. "The ideals of divorce and abortion, the disdain towards homosexuality, the intolerance towards werewolves and vampires, these are essentially muggle ideologies invading our world. We have forgotten our bonding ceremonies and magical adoption rituals. Magical child abuse is nearly unheard of in our society but it happens regularly in the homes of Muggle born children and half bloods. Dark arts were not forbidden during Salazar Slytherin's time but he could see how that would change."

Severus nodded in understanding, "Muggle born children were too influenced by their religion to accept magic and they labeled any sort of spell that caused harm as Dark Arts and therefore intolerable."

The boy smiled at his father, "Precisely. Avada Kedevra is a neutral spell, created by a wizard who supported euthanasia. The wizard was an experienced Healer named Ethan O'Neil. It was used as a quick and painless way to kill patients who were suffering and had no hope to survive whatever they were suffering from. When the spell was created, Mr. O'Neil designed it so that even painful curses like Cruciatus could not interfere with its purpose. Therefore, he created a spell that had no counter-curse or defense, unknowingly."

Severus raised a brow, very impressed with his son's vast knowledge. "And a spell that was formed for seemingly helpful purposes was deemed as Dark… not only dark, but unforgivable just because it was used by some for the purpose of murder." The Potions master observed.

A comfortable silence descended upon them and Severus pondered over the conversation they just had. "How is it that you know so much about this?"

Harry shrugged in response, "The moment I discovered the Parseltongue library in the Chamber of Secrets, I asked the headmaster's exclusive permission to read those books. He permitted it on the condition that I tell no one of its contents. It would not do to let Voldemort know that he had missed the library while playing around with the Basilisk in the chamber. Slytherin did have many interesting ideas that got me thinking."

Severus nodded and accepted the explanation. It was a miracle that they had carried out a conversation without insulting each other after every sentence. It was as though the five years of constant hostility never existed and Severus found himself in awe of his son's understanding. Harry understood why Severus had done what he did. He understood and did not hold it against him. _That _surprised him.

"Wow." Harry whispered in awe. "We just had a civil conversation… this day has been too odd."

Severus smirked before observing Harry with narrowed eyes, "Do you want to see what your true appearance is?"

Harry eyes widened, "My true appearance?" He looked down at his own body with surprised eyes, "This is not how I am supposed to look?"

The Potions Master sneered, "Well, of course not, idiot boy. How can the son of Severus and Adrianna Snape look like James and Lily Potter? Although, you may still retain your green eyes, my mother's eyes were green too."

Harry scowled at his father before nodding, "So, I am under Glammorie?"

"No, the Potters performed a few of spells on you. The_ Velieris Hereditas _spell is something that hides a person's inheritance. Therefore, whatever looks and talents you inherited from us are hidden under that spell. Overlapping that spell is _Reproba Visio_ spell and the _Dissimulo _spell. _Reproba Visio _spell gives you a false face, which is usually the face similar to those who have performed the spell. It takes two people to perform it. I suppose Potter and Evans performed it and so you have features strikingly similar to them. _Dissimulo _spell may have been used to combine the two other spells and give your new appearance some permanence." Severus explained calmly while Harry frowned.

The older wizard observed Harry thoughtfully, "Do you know the counter to those spells, Harry?"

"_Promptum Specialis_ is the specific counter spell to _Dissimulo. Verus Visio _is the counter to _Reproba Visio. _As for _Velieris Hereditas, _the painful counter curse _Attero Reproba Hereditas _has to be used." Harry's face twisted into a grimace, "Why use such simple light spells to disguise me? Moreover, these spells can only be countered by dark spells I mentioned. The Potters would never have been able to perform the counter curses to those spells, especially _Attero Reproba Hereditas._"

Severus smirked, there was no mistaking the proud glint in his eyes, "Very impressive. Actually, the Potters thought that there was no counter to these spells. As the counter spells for all three of them are genuine and powerful Dark spells, they might not have bothered to look into it."

"Ignorance." The young boy sneered. "Cast those spells, sir. I would rather be my true self."

Severus nodded and waved his wand in a very short, diagonal slash, "_Promptum Specialis._" In quick succession, he swirled the wand in three precise 360-degree turns before muttering, "_Verus Visio._"

Harry gasped a chilling power of those two counter curses hit him. He could feel them working on his body and they were not painful. They felt like snow delicately caressing his skin. Of course, these curses had only an external effect.

Severus let Harry recover from those curses before looking into those emerald eyes, probably for the last time. The older wizard leaned forward to see the subtle differences on Harry's features. Sharp cheekbones and full lips gave off a rather effeminate appearance and Severus smirked. _That _was something he was going to let Harry find out on his own.

Training his wand on his son once again, the Potions Master whispered at last counter curse, "_Attero Reproba Hereditas._"

The scream that tore past Harry's pass was filled with absolute agony. For long minutes, Severus had to watch helplessly as Harry withered on the ground. The younger wizard's bones shifted and it seemed as though his entire body was reforming.

It was a rather grotesque picture.

When it was finally over, Harry… no _Hadrian _lay there panting.

xxxxxxx

Tom Marvolo Riddle was the perfect student. He was courteous, intelligent, hardworking and obedient. His scores were usually the highest and he was the Head Boy. Handsome and with an aura of power, he drew a lot of attention towards himself.

He was also a young man with many dark secrets.

Before he returned for his fifth year, he had killed his father and paternal grandparents with a simple wave of his wand and the Unforgivable curse _Avada Kedevra_.

During his fifth year, he opened the Chamber of Secrets and caused the death of some random mudblood whose name he did not bother to remember. He directed the blame smoothly towards Hagrid. After all, he was Tom Riddle, the prodigious student and Hagrid was a _half-breed._

He was cold, calculating, powerful and a quintessential Slytherin who cared for nothing but himself.

That was the reason he just could not explain why his heart just stopped beating for a moment when he walked in on the serene picture before his eyes.

It was a boy he saw standing in the backdrop of the beautiful serenity of the Hogwarts Lake. The boy was slender, with long legs adding inches to his seemingly petite body. He had strangely colored hair, thin strands of pale blonde mingled seamlessly with rich ebony. Long fingers were twirling a beautiful red wand lazily. He stood straight-backed. It was the posture of someone who was not arrogant, but someone who was confident in his own abilities.

The sheer power in the boy's aura was palpable.

Tom cleared his throat delicately and watched as the boy stilled and turned around.

Dear Merlin, the boy was _lovely._

He had enticingly soft face with glowing pale skin, high cheekbones, slender eyebrows and perfectly symmetrical features. Those aristocratic looks had a marking of pureblood heredity.

But Merlin… those eyes…

They were so _green, s_o impossibly green and so brilliant that for a moment he thought that the Killing Curse had manifested itself in those eyes.

The boy did not smile; in fact, he showed no reaction. He seemed to be waiting for Tom to speak. The Head boy observed the elfin creature standing silently in front of him for a moment before his lips curled into a small, calculating smirk.

"Hello, I am Tom Marvolo Riddle." He bowed elegantly and watched with amused eyes as the silent boy's lips twitched at the gesture, "And you might be…?"

"Hadrian Lucian Beaumont, Mr. Riddle and possibly your school-mate." The boy… no Hadrian had a rather interesting voice; Tom observed as those pink lips moved to form speech. Low and whispery; it was not a voice that could reach higher octaves without cracking.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." Tom said as he regained all his composure and looked at the lovely boy coolly. Hadrian seemed distinctly amused by his manipulation of emotions. "Which year will you be joining in?"

"If permitted, the seventh year." Hadrian answered, "I have been home schooled by my father all my life." A small mysterious smirk formed on his lips, "He is a little protective of me you see."

Hadrian had answered three questions at once. Tom narrowed his eyes on the boy; there was silent manipulation in those words. A subtle way of showing that he was weak, trying to make him underestimate his power. The remark on protective father may have been true but most might not like to admit it. It showed that he might have needed that protection and therefore was weak.

Had Tom not sensed the boy's power and cunning earlier on, he would have immediately dismissed the boy as beneath his notice at that remark.

"You will be in Slytherin." Tom stated bluntly.

Hadrian's smirk turned sharp and he chuckled, "Well done Mr. Riddle…" he whispered with amusement coloring his tone, "I look forward to sharing my classes with you."

That had been a test.

Tom felt incredulity flood him as the pretty-boy nodded in farewell and walked away.

It had been a bloody test.

"I look forward to it too, Mr. Beaumont."

There was a pause in Hadrian's steps and he whispered, "You may call me Harry."

'_Harry…_'

A small smirk formed on his lips, "How very interesting."


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: _Fate's Fickle Hand_**

**Author: _Sinistersmiles_**

**Disclaimer: _I do not own The Harry Potter series. _**

**Warnings: _SLASH! Tom Riddle/Harry Potter. Severus Snape is Harry's father. Occasional grammar and spelling mistakes might occur, as English is not my primary language. Dark Harry! Time Travel!_**

**Summery: _Dark and prodigious; Tom Riddle can manipulate everyone to his advantage until he encounters the mysterious and enchanting Hadrian Beaumont. What he does not know is that Hadrian Beaumont is his soul mate, who was previously known as Harry James Potter._**

Xxxxxx

Severus sat gracefully in front of Headmaster Dippet and Transfiguration Professor Dumbledore. They were reviewing his son's application form since Severus had told them that they had just transferred from America after his wife's death.

"Your son seems to have good grades, Mr. Beaumont but there are few subjects that we do not teach. Magical seals and blood rituals are considered banned here." Headmaster Dippet said with a slight shake of his head.

Although Severus already knew that, he pretended to be disheartened, "It is my son's favored subject but it does not matter. Hadrian is a very accommodating person, I am certain that he would not complain."

Albus Dumbledore smiled, "It is unfortunate that we have to deprive a young, talented man from his favored field of study, but I am certain that he can still pursue it away from the Ministry's eyes."

Seeing those twinkling eyes, Severus resisted the urge to groan. He had thought that Dumbledore would not be as annoying in this time line as he was in the future but he was wrong. Just as he was about to reply, a knock sounded on the door and a young woman walked in.

Handing a parchment over to Headmaster Dippet, the woman spoke, "These are young Hadrian Beaumont's entrance test results, sir." She turned to Severus and smiled, "You have a fine son Mr. Beaumont, he has such poise and manners, and it would be an honor to teach him."

Severus resisted the urge to smile in reply, trying to ignore the surge of pride in his heart, he nodded, "Thank you Madam."

She nodded in reply and walked out of the office.

Severus turned to see Headmaster looking at his son's result with a small, pleased smile. "It seems that you son excels in Defense against Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures and Charms. He has scored an Outstanding in all three. Exceeding Expectations in Transfiguration, Potions and Herbology… it is a pity, poor in Divination and Acceptable in Astrology. These are rather good scores… especially in Potions when he has studied Alchemy."

Severus smirked; it had been rather difficult to forge those documents, especially when the syllabus in America was quite different from what they taught in England. "Well, I am a Potions Master, it would be unflattering if my son did not know about it. Although I must admit, I wish he would dedicate more of himself towards the subject, he has a rather instinctual grasp over it, and he would be a good Potions Master if he tried."

Albus smiled, "It is every father's wish that their sons follow in their footsteps, Mr. Beaumont, however, one must not forget that they have their own ambitions and interests that they would like to pursue."

Headmaster Dippet frowned thoughtfully, "Mr. Beaumont, if you don't mind me asking, are you employed at the moment?"

Severus raised a brow and shook his head, "I am in no hurry to procure employment at the moment Headmaster. I need to settle many things before Hadrian starts school."

"Oh? Do you need any help?" Dumbledore questioned with a slight frown.

The Potions Master nodded, "If you could recommend someone who deals with large properties? I wish to buy a homely manor with a Quidditch pitch; my son is very fond of that game."

Albus smiled and nodded, "I know someone who will provide you with great deals. Very few manors are up for sale considering that very few people can afford to buy it. If you have the appropriate finances, you can get a good, isolated manor."

Severus sighed and leaned back, "Money is not the issue. I just need a proper home for my boy. Once we get settled in, I would most likely start a Potions Laboratory to for research and development."

"Would you consider teaching Potions at Hogwarts?" Headmaster Dippet questioned eagerly, "You will not need to rush in buying a home for your family. We can provide you with appropriate quarters and it would be beneficial for young Hadrian if you are close to him while he tries to adjust here."

"Yes." Dumbledore agreed, "You will have ample of time to procure the best property you can find if you take up this position and Hadrian will not be lonely. Besides, our Potions professor has been contemplating resignation for a long time. He is simply waiting for us to procure an appropriate teacher."

Severus scowled, "Forgive me, but I am not the best person to teach. I hardly have any patience with children. I am sure that my son can vouch for that."

"Hadrian is a fine young man." Albus said with a twinkle in the eye, "He shows the marking of a noble upbringing under a stern but loving parent. I am certain that if you can raise such a charming child from infancy, you can teach a handful of mischievous but intelligent students without any trouble, Mr. Beaumont."

Severus frowned, inwardly cringing at the reminder that he had no hand in raising his son. He was not about to reveal that but he knew that Harry had molded himself into the man he was now. He could have easily slipped into darkness as Tom Riddle had; however, he did not.

He sat back and thought over the advantages of teaching. He did not like teaching students who did not appreciate the art of Potions making but if he tried to reign in on his temper, then may be; he would find an apprentice, a rough jewel just waiting to be polished. May be, he would manage to convince Hadrian to pay more attention to Potions. Really, such talent was going to waste just because the boy never applied himself.

He would also be able to keep an eye on the blasted Dark Lord. Hadrian may have matured in many ways but Severus was certain that if anyone _could_ fool Harry, it would be the Dark Lord. He may have respected the man, but he was not about to let the budding Lord Voldemort hurt his son.

He had gone through enough as it is.

"Very well…" Severus conceded reluctantly, "I will accept your offer."

Headmaster Dippet beamed, "Wonderful, shall we discuss the contract then?"

Severus dearly hoped that he was not making a mistake.

Xxxxxx

He could not get Harry off his mind.

Tom had originally come to the library to elevate his boredom, for even a new puzzle in the form of Harry could not keep him away from his hunger for knowledge.

Oh how wrong he was.

He had spent the better part of the day mulling over Harry. He just could not understand why the boy managed to catch his attention so quickly and effectively. Sure, Harry was rather eye-catching with porcelain beauty that would do wonders to an artist's imagination, but Tom did not care much for beauty.

He was not an aesthetic person. He was attracted to power, darkness and absolute control. He loved it when he puzzled and terrified others or when they looked at him in awe because he was above them and out of their reach.

Hadrian's solemn eyes had held only curiosity and some vague amusement.

The sense of desolate sorrow that lingered like a blanket around the boy confused and intrigued him. At first, he saw an aloof Slytherin, who was cunning and trying to test him for some reason. However, the sorrow he saw in those compelling eyes made him realize that he was wrong.

Hadrian had no will to live.

What could have been so devastating that Harry lost his will to live?

'_Serpensortia!_' A low voice growled, shaking him out of his thoughts. Tom quickly reached for his wand and pressed himself against the wall.

The voice came from a room that Tom recognized as a dueling chamber. With a frown, he discreetly opened the door to see a man clad entirely in black robes had his wand trained on Hadrian.

He quickly melted into the shadows and watched the proceedings.

"Oh come on, father…" Hadrian goaded with a smirk, "A snake? You should no me better."

Severus just raised a brow in reply as Hadrian bent down and lifted the snake off the ground with a soothing hiss.

'_Diffindo!_' The Potions Master muttered, taking advantage of Harry's distraction.

Harry quickly jumped away with a scowl, '_Protego!_' "Very clever father."

'_Sectumsempra!_' Severus eyes narrowed at the curse as he quickly dodged.

'_Petrificus Totalus!_' Harry was swift to dodge that curse. He rolled on the ground and waved a blasting curse towards his father who summoned a shield.

Harry narrowed his eyes, "Let's up an ante." He growled.

'_Crucio!_' Severus' eyes widened as the red curse flew at him before narrowing in calculation. He stepped away, not wanting to be subjected to the curse.

'_Conjunctiva!_'

'_Protego!_'

'_Niger flamma._' Harry hissed and smirked when his father gaped before dodging but Harry knew it was no use. _Niger flamma _cannot be stopped so easily. It will follow its intended target and burn unless Harry withdraws the curse.

Severus narrowed his eyes and waved his wand in a sharp slashing motion three times before twirling it once, '_Eternus Signum_' he intoned.

It was Harry's turn to gape. The black flames were sealed away. Growling lowly, he withdrew the Dark curse and whispered, '_Adhaero Humus._'

He watched with no small amount amusement as his father's feet were stuck to the ground. '_Sectumsempra!_'

Severus hissed, "Idiot boy!" Waving his wand, he quickly summoned a blood red shield and smirked when Harry goggled at him, "Are you so eager to defeat me, heir? Look at this shield properly, _Cruor Inritus Contego. _The Blood Void Shield."

It was then Harry spotted a small cut on his father's palm. His eyes widened eagerly, "Blood magic! You have just got to teach me that, father!"

Severus snorted, "Of course… now let's continue." '_Imperio!_'

Harry stilled and his eyes glazed over. "Surrender." Severus whispered in a smooth, coaxing voice.

'_Incarcerous!_' Harry hissed out, overcoming the _Imperius_ curse with practiced ease.

'_Incendio._' Severus intoned, burning the ropes on his body, singing his clothing somewhat. '_Reducto._'

Harry flew back as the curse hit him, '_Diffindo._'

The boy bit his lip as the curse hit him before murmuring, '_Protego._' And taking deep, calming breaths.

Severus smirked at his glaring son, "Tsk, tsk… Haven't you learnt anything, my heir?" Severus twirled his wand and his smirk turned feral, '_Crucio!_' He held it only for a second.

Harry screamed as he fell to his knees before he cut his palm shakily, '_Cru… cruor Inritus Contego!_' He snarled as the blood shield blocked the Unforgivable before glaring wrathfully at his father. Severus looked proud that he had managed the shield in his first try.

"Very good, son." Severus whispered as his hard eyes softened. He never liked casting the _Cruciatus _on his son but Harry had insisted when he had first started training the boy during his sixth year. Severus understood that Harry wanted to develop his pain resistance but that did not mean that Severus wanted Harry to be subjected to that dreadful curse.

Harry stayed on his hands and knees, trying to will away the pain running through his body. He successfully managed to get those tremors under control.

Severus knelt before his son as the Blood shield disappeared and cupped his face, "You did well. I am disappointed that you did not use you entire repertoire of Dark Curses but it is all right. From tomorrow, I will start teaching you blood magic, alright?" Harry nodded in response and allowed his father to carry him out of the chamber.

Tom watched silently as Hadrian and his father left the room.

He could not breathe.

Raw magic was still sizzling in the air and he felt addicted towards it. Those spell, those Dark Spells were so powerful and Hadrian ability to withstand _Imperius_ and_ Cruciatus_ was nothing short of impressive.

It had been a duel between two masters. While Harry's father excluded an aura of danger and experience, Harry was radiating with youthful power that was tightly controlled.

However, it was the fact that Harry had carried out the entire dueling session with wandless magic that made his knees buckle in astonishment.

Contrary to popular assumption, having power did not mean that a person could perform wandless magic. In fact, the more power a person had, the more _difficult_ it was to perform magic without a wand.

Wandless magic was a product of absolute control over one's magic. To perform wandless spells, even spells like _Lumos, _a wizard needed to be in complete harmony with his magical core. Some people were natural at it. They could feel strands of magic form the spell they wished to perform and feel their magic traveling through their body to their fingertips to cast the spell.

They also had the _Sight._

Moreover, people who were gifted with the _Sight_ usually had eyes of intense and unusual colors.

Like _Avada Kedevra _green.

Tom cursed under his breath and closed his eyes. A person needed _raw talent _to attain such a high degree of mastery over Wandless magic. It was something that even he could not do. Either you were born with that talent or you were not.

Still, he just could not bring himself to be jealous.

Tom narrowed his eyes. Something about Harry had bewitched him. He had worked long and hard to get where he was. Tom knew he was powerful. He had devoured large tomes of Dark Magic as well as Light magic. He knew many Dark Rituals and he was proficient in Blood magic. He wanted to prove that he was not worthless or weak.

He had been jealous of Malfoy's influence. He had envied Dumbledore's power and efficiency, even though the professor was a light wizard.

However, he prided himself because he was still the top student. He knew there was no student who could defeat him in a duel. No student could compare to his power and knowledge because he had worked hard to gain both of them.

By all rights, he should have been jealous of Hadrian Beaumont but he was not and that puzzled him.

Unbidden, a snarl came to his lips and distaste grew in his heart. He had no need for such distractions but he recognized a powerful ally when he saw one. He would observe and investigate. He would unravel the mystery that was Harry and find out why the boy affected him so.

In due time, even Harry would bow to Lord Voldemort.

Somehow, that thought did not cause him any pleasure.

Xxxxx

Harry sighed as he lay down on his bed. It felt good to be taken care of for once. He could not help but wonder how his life would have been if his mother had been alive. Their family would have been intact.

He could imagine it. Regular visits to the Malfoys, bickering and competing with Draco every chance he got. Listening to his parents talking softly to each other…

He had this perfect image of his mother with blonde hair and icy grey eyes as she kissed his father lovingly before smiling softly at him. He had the image where they would sit for dinner and his father would ask him about his day while his mother forced him to eat more greens.

That is what he craved; a normal family.

Looking at his father now, as he lay on his bed while Severus studied some scroll, he could barely contain himself from grinning.

Even if he did not have a mother, he had father and his father was taking care of him, training him, being proud of him. He wanted nothing more than savor the moment and bask in the sense of belonging.

It felt so great when his father knew that he was not weak and would overcome the _Cruciatus. _There had been no pity or worry in those obsidian eyes, only confidence that he could do it. He wanted to work harder to please the man. To prove that he was a worthy son, that he could be someone the Potions Master would be proud to call his son.

He knew that not all was settled between them. Harry was well aware that they were procrastinating, stalling the conversation that was long overdue. However, both of them were reluctant to break the peace that had settled over their relationship.

Although it was not apparent, they were treading on eggshells around each other. Carefully avoiding troublesome topic of their past relationship and trying not to ask too personal questions to each other.

Harry never asked why his father joined the death-eaters and why he was still loyal to the Dark Lord. He never asked why Severus had treated him so badly when he knew that Harry was his son. He just could not bring himself to. He felt that it would shatter that new, budding relationship between them.

Harry vowed to himself that he would not bring up the topic unless Severus was bringing it up first.

"He was watching us." Harry murmured abruptly and watched as his father nodded. "Why did you not stop him?" He questioned curiously.

Severus frowned, "Why should I?" The older wizard shook his head, "There is no harm in him watching."

Harry shook his head and glared at his father, "Of course there is! I do not want to attract his attention." The boy scowled, "I am feeling much better now. I feel normal, not numb inside, as I have been feeling ever since Voldemort's death. I do not need to start a relationship with him. I am content like this."

Severus narrowed his eyes shrewdly, "Yes, you are returning to normal but for how long will you stay that way? You need Riddle to survive and vice versa, I do not understand why you are running away from happiness."

Harry shook his head, "With Tom, there can never be happiness. He will not give up on his plans and I do not intend to stand by his side like some ort of trophy and let his destroy the wizarding with his misguided perceptions."

"You are being a stubborn idiot." Severus hissed in irritation.

"You forget, I am a Gryffindor." Harry replied.

Severus shook his head, "No. You said it yourself. Different people cannot be classified into four categories. I will not categorize you; I have observed you silently for the past six years, Harry. I have seen behind those masks you adopt when you wish to hide from the world. You are afraid of Tom. Afraid that once he has you in his possession, he will forget you, and of course, that would have been a possibility. That is, if yours was a normal relationship."

Harry sighed and held his head in his hands. "This just keeps getting better and better." Running his slender fingers through his unique hair, he glanced at his father, "You wish for me to court him?"

Severus shook his head, "On the contrary, little one, I wish for you to allow him to court you."

Harry frowned in confusion and looked at his father questioningly.

"He has yet to prove that he is worthy of you, my son." It was then Harry started laughing hollowly.

"This is no laughing matter!" Severus snarled and walked up to Harry's bed and sat down besides his son. Seeing those distraught eyes, he reached out and caressed the child's cheek, "Please understand, my little one, it is a hollow existence to live without a soul mate. I survived without your mother because a piece of her exists within you. You have no such consolation."

He spoke softly, finally realizing how fragile his boy was. Finally seeing how traumatized those beautiful eyes were. "You have nothing to be afraid of. You are his anchor. You will ground his cruelty, his hatred with your affection and kindness. He is your protector; he will keep you safe from yourself and ease the pain you feel within."

"You promise?"

Severus' obsidian eyes softened at Harry's insecurity. He had been pretending to be strong for so long, but it seemed as though Harry trusted him enough to depend on him. "I can not do that Harry." He whispered, "I know, personally, what soul mates are like. Each couple is different." He looked seriously into Harry's eyes, "Both of you are important and powerful people, Harry. Where Tom is cunning and hardworking, you are a magical genius, a being that has an instinctual grasp on magic. Where he can mesmerize and manipulate people, you can understand them. Just take time to adjust here, enjoy yourself and if Tom comes to you, don't drive him away."

When Harry nodded, Severus allowed himself a small smile, "Good boy."

Harry scowled at his father before turning his head away to hide a small smile. Severus smirked and leaned back against the headboard. "What is he doing here early anyways?" The younger wizard questioned thoughtfully.

The Potions Master smirked, "It seems that his orphanage was burnt to the ground. There was no magical residue found so it is suspected that the fire was an accident."

Harry scoffed, his eyes narrowed in anger, "Tom Riddle is not foolish enough to let any crime he commits be traced back to him. If the fire is not started by magical means than it is an accident, how ridiculous is that? Tom is perfectly capable of doing such a thing without magic."

"Of course he is." Severus scoffed, "But something baffles me…" he continued, "Dumbledore mentioned that no one was harmed except an attendant who was rumored to be a pedophile."

Harry's mouth twisted into a disgusted grimace. "May be there was a sane motive after all." The young man sighed and closed his eyes, "So that is why he is here early?"

Severus nodded, "Headmaster Dippet is going to give Riddle the key to his inheritance."

"The entire Slytherin inheritance? He is going to be bloody rich then." Harry shook his head, "I heard that the Slytherin inheritance is nearly double that of the Malfoys. Are you sure that the key will accept Tom? It did not let The Gaunts touch the inheritance."

"I am. Well, Slytherin Castle is a sentient. It accepted Riddle as the Slytherin Heir." Severus confirmed, "And the Dark Lord never really utilized that money much. He is not the one to over indulge. He used the Slytherin castle as his personal residence and carried out death eater meetings at the Riddle Manor."

"That means he has all the more resources to carry out his propaganda." Harry sighed. Burying his face into the pillow he whined pitifully, "Can I _not_ be a part of this mess? All I have to do is stay away from Tom and I can lead a normal life as an anonymous person with mediocre skills… may be I should take up teaching after graduation?" He frowned thoughtfully before shaking his head, "No, Hogwarts is the epicenter of all the mess because Dumbledore is here."

"An anonymous person with mediocre skills?" Severus questioned in incredulity, the father gave a sharp rap on his son's head and scowled at him, "Who are you trying to fool, idiot boy? You are a person with magical sight and a natural mage with enormous power and potential. While Tom is superior to you in terms of raw power, he can never posses your natural skills. He will _never_ let you fade into the background."

Harry groaned and buried himself further into the bed. Severus sighed and placed his hand lightly on his son's head, "The rest of the students will be arriving tonight. You need to rest. I will be teaching Potions so when school is in session you will refer to me as 'sir'. When we are alone, you may call me father. Now, take a nap, I will wake you up in time for the Sorting feast."

"Will you attend?" Harry questioned as he looked at Severus, "The Headmaster is going to introduce you tonight, isn't he?"

"I cannot." Severus shook his head, "I have to prepare lesson plans. I cannot use the ones I used in our time because I taught many potions that have not been invented yet."

"Like the Wit-Sharpening Potion?"

"Hmm." Severus agreed with a small smile. One of the first smiles Harry had ever seen from his father. Long fingers ran through his hair and Harry relaxed as his aching body surrendered to sleep.

_Cruciatus _was really a pain in the hind.

Xxxxx

"**_Slytherin!_**"

Harry scoffed. As if there was any doubt. He was hoping to be sorted into Gryffindor but the Hat was more stubborn this time around. He walked towards the Slytherin table; raise an elegant brow at Tom's smug expression.

"What kind of over-protective father subjects his precious son to _Cruciatus_ and_ Imperious?_" Tom questioned with a slight sneer as Harry sat beside him.

Harry smiled serenely, "Good evening to you to Tom." He whispered and glanced up at the other teen. "Did you enjoy the duel?"

Tom scoffed and Harry hid an amused smile at the frustration in those lovely turquoise eyes. It still baffled Harry how Tom managed to be a picture of elegance when he was raised in an orphanage.

Tom was so exquisite. Every time he saw the budding Dark Lord, his heart would leap into his throat. He had to restrain himself from reaching out and capturing that elegant face in his hands and look deeply into those beautiful eyes that would became ugly and baleful crimson in years to come. Trying to still his racing heart, he waited for the other to answer.

"Your father was quite impressive." At that, Harry chuckled, smiling fondly; he glanced at Riddle, "He is rather stunning, isn't he? I have never seen him defeated in a duel."

Tom looked tense, his jaw had a visible veins throbbing as a proof of his annoyance. Unfortunately, for Harry, Tom looked handsome and it pained the green-eyed boy to give up their relationship before it even started.

"What is it about you…?" Tom whispered and Harry tensed. He knew that he could not hide it for long. He knew that Tom would eventually understand that Harry was his soul mate but he was hoping to have some time.

"Pardon me?" he asked, hoping that he was wrong in his assumption.

Tom scowled at him, his eyes flashing with something Harry could not name, "There is something about you… I intend to find out what it is."

Harry coolly raised a brow but inside he was nervous. He turned his head away from the other boy and glanced around the Slytherin table to find almost everyone looking at him, trying to be discrete.

A slow smirk crawled up his lips as he spotted someone he supposed was his grandfather judging by those intense, intelligent obsidian eyes and patrician features. Long, artistic fingers were cradling a slyly smirking face and those eyes so similar to his father gave him a once over. "So, Mr. Beaumont, welcome to Slytherin."

Merlin, this person really looked like his father except for the nose. He suspected that Severus had just broken his nose one too many times, now he was certain. He tilted his head to the side in mild enquiry, "And you might be?"

"Alexander Snape at your service." The young man bowed his head a little and Harry recognized the similarity between his supposed grandfather and his father's voice. "I see you are already acquainted with our dear Riddle."

Harry spared a glance at Tom's icy features and nodded, "We have met."

"I am sure you have." A smooth voice drawled and Harry turned to look at a Malfoy. Really, Malfoy genes were so prominent that Harry could recognize a Malfoy anywhere. "I am Abraxas Malfoy, pleased to meet you."

"Hadrian Beaumont." Harry replied with a small dip of his head. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Malfoy."

"You may call me Abraxas." There was a hint of superiority in that voice and Hadrian's eyes instantly narrowed. He knew that if he let Malfoy take that tone with him, they will walk all over him. Tom was obvious the leader of this pack, which was why Alexander was interested in him. However, Abraxas was arrogant.

He lifted his head up and met those steel grey eyes with his own. "Abraxas…" he whispered, as though testing that name on his tongue. He raised his brow challengingly, his _Avada Kedevra_ eyes flashing dangerously.

A small chuckle nearly escaped him when Malfoy visibly restrained himself from recoiling. Beside him, Tom shared a smirk with Alexander.

"May I have you attention please?" Headmaster Dippet's voice rang out as the Sorting Ceremony ended. "I regret to inform you that our Potions Professor, Mr. Horace Slughorn will not be joining us this year." When he did not get much response, he sighed and continued, "We were lucky enough to find a Potions Master to teach you." He said with a smile when exited whispers immediately broke out.

Everyone knew that getting Mastery in Potions was immensely difficult and very few were able to accomplish that. Moreover, it was rare for Potions Masters to teach instead to locking themselves up in their labs to do research and make potions all day.

"Yes, yes, I know you are excited. Your new professor, Potions Master Severus Alexander Beaumont asked to be excused from the Sorting feast, as he needed to prepare for you lessons. I hope you take full advantage of this opportunity and learn as much as you can from him." Headmaster advised with a smile. "Now, enjoy your meal."

Tom raised a brow at Harry, "You father is a Potions Master? I thought that he was a Duelist or a Defense Master?"

Hadrian smirked, "Hmm… let me see. My father achieved his Mastery over Dueling the moment he graduated. He became a Potions Master when he was twenty and a Defense Master when he was twenty-four. That qualifies him as a genius, does it not?"

"You take entirely too much pride in your father's achievements." Tom scoffed but not unkindly. Alexander leaned forward in interest, "So your father will be our new Potions professor… That should be fun."

Harry chuckled, "My father has little patience for teaching. I am still uncertain how that the Headmaster managed to convince him to teach. I can guarantee that Potions will be the most exasperating and difficult class." Shaking his head, he smiling softly as the image of his father in those black robes terrifying students came to his mind. "I do believe that some of the first years will burst into tears under his acidic tongue."

Alexander narrowed his eyes, "Acidic tongue?"

Harry laughed softly, "You will know what I mean soon."

Tom glanced at Harry with a frown, "Your father did not seem so bad when I saw him, except for his use of Unforgivables during the duel."

Alexander and Malfoy froze, their eyes widening in shock. Harry just shrugged, "I am his son. He is bound to favor me. As for using _Cruciatus _and _Imperious, _why does it bother you that much, Tom? My father and I, both of us are dark wizards; you know that from watching our duel."

Tom's lips pressed into a thin line, "_Cruciatus _will hurt no matter how many times you suffer it, Harry. I do not know why you are not resting and sitting here chatting with us."

Inwardly, Harry was baffled. There was a hint of concern in Tom's voice and it was too early for the instincts of a soul mate to surface within the future Dark Lord.

"_Cruciatus!_" Malfoy narrowed his eyes in astonishment.

"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Harry growled in frustration, "Don't look at me like that. Father is proficient in Blood magic and I know Black magic quite well, the Unforgivables are simple little curses compared to what those two branches are capable of."

"You know Black Magic." Another Slytherin who looked remarkably like Sirius leaned forward. The Slytherin looked younger, not by much, but Harry suspected he was fifth year. "Hello, my name is Cygnus Black."

"I have seen him cast the _Niger Flamma_ curse." Tom commented. "His father used to _Eternus_ _Signum_, the Eternal seal to contain the Black Flame. That's high level Black and Blood Magic."

"I know." Cygnus said, looking very interested, "It takes astounding control to cast _Niger Flamma._ Tom here is proficient in Blood Magic but I do not know anyone who is good in Black Magic."

"Control?" Malfoy questioned, arrogance long forgotten.

Harry nodded, "That is the specialty of _Niger Flamma. _Those flames are alive and under your command. You can direct it to any direction, even when the curse has left your wand. Consider it like _Wingardium Leviosa_, the object you elevate move in the direction you want it to. The black flames will move in any direction you want it to however, you need to maintain constant control over the magic of black flames."

"Hmm…" Alexander agreed with a small, thoughtful frown, "It does require a lot of control. Moreover, _Eternus Signum_ is one of the most perfect seals but relatively easy to perform once and person gets a hang of it. It is a small seal which would do to contain a small burst of _Niger flamma_ used without any intension to cause harm."

Tom nodded and looked at Harry, "I would not recommend using that seal to control _Niger flamma _cast by an enemy. Ask your father to teach you how to cast _Tutela Cruor Signum._ "

"Yes." Alexander nodded, "That is one seal that will counteract any living flame; be it Black, Blue or White. The seal is very protective of the ones who cast it, hence the name. It is also living magic so it keeps adjusting to the movements of living flames."

Harry nodded in agreement and was about to say something when he was interrupted by a rather erotic voice, "You know..." They looked at a lazy looking boy with stunning blue eyes and messy red hair, "In a school that preaches and practices Light Magic, talk of all these forbidden arts will get you into a load of trouble."

Tom smirked, "Harry, I would like you to meet my most trusted friend, Jonathan Weasley."

Harry mind went blank.

'_Did he just say Jonathan Weasley…?_'

'_Jonathan WEASLEY…_'

'_Jonathan **WEASLEY!!!**_'


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: _Fate's Fickle Hand_**

**Author: _Sinistersmiles_**

**Disclaimer: _I do not own The Harry Potter series. _**

**Warnings: _SLASH! Tom Riddle/Harry Potter. Severus Snape is Harry's father. Occasional grammar and spelling mistakes might occur, as English is not my primary language. Dark Harry! Time Travel!_**

**Summery: _Dark and prodigious; Tom Riddle can manipulate everyone to his advantage until he encounters the mysterious and enchanting Hadrian Beaumont. What he does not know is that Hadrian Beaumont is his soul mate, who was previously known as Harry James Potter._**

(**_Parseltongue_**)

('_thoughts_')

("Speech")

Xxxx

(**_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: AD: 934_**)

"Professor!" A loud voice exclaimed.

Salazar paused in his steps and raised a brow at the frantic young child.

"Professor, you must come, Professor Ravenclaw requires assistance…" She panted, "She seems to be in great pain."

Salazar nodded calmly, "Be at ease, Ms. White, I shall look into the matter." He turned on his heals and walked swiftly and silently towards the Potions' classroom where he knew Rowena would be.

It did not take him long to navigate through the chilling dungeons that were his territory. With a small frown, he pushed the door open and narrowed his eyes on the circle of fourth year students that were surrounding the hunched form of the potions mistress.

He did not say anything as the crowd parted for him and he knelt before the young woman, "Rowena." He called softly, trying to gain her attention, without much success. Her eyes were clouded and her breathing labored.

Salazar scowled and turned to the Slytherin prefect who was standing attentively by the door, "Inform Professors Gryffindor and Hufflepuff of what has happened. Have one of them inform my brother that Rowena had taken ill."

The prefect nodded and walked out of the room swiftly while Salazar dismissed the other students before carrying Rowena to the healer's quarters.

It did not take long for the healer to finished examining her but the puzzled frown on the man's face told him that he did not know what ailed her.

"Forgive me, Lord Slytherin." The healer said with a shake of his head, "It is difficult for me to derive a conclusion when she seems to be normal. The only problem I see here is the fact that she is not conscious of her surroundings."

Salazar leaned forward and gazed into Rowena's eyes, a subtle brush against her mind and he withdrew sharply.

The doors to the wing slammed open and a concerned group of people walked in.

"What is the matter? Is Rowena alright? Is it the child? Or…"

"Calm yourself Godric." Salazar interrupted smoothly, a trace of irritation lining his voice. He turned to his older brother, Adrianus Slytherin. At his brother's questioning eyes, he scowled doubtfully, "She seems to be having a vision, brother and that is all I can conclude at the moment."

Healer frowned his patient, "We need not be concerned so as to how it shall affect the child she is carrying." He looked at Adrianus reassuringly, "Your wife and child are not being adversely affected. If what your brother suspects it true than we shall have to wait until she awakens before administering any treatment."

Godric scowled, "Well… that certainly helps." He murmured sarcastically. Salazar glanced at him sharply, "Will you be silent." He sneered, emerald eyes flashing in annoyance.

Adrianus raised a brow silently and walked over to his wife, observing her pale countenance critically, "Salazar." He murmured, gaining his younger brother's attention quickly, "My son is alone at the manor. I would be grateful if you asked your wife to watch over him while we settle this matter."

Salazar nodded, "Of course. I shall inform Roselyn immediately." He walked to the fireplace and used the floo to call his wife, "Roselyn…"

His wife's face appeared in fire and he smirked at the tired look in her eyes, his son's angry cries were enough to make him wince, he felt pity for her. "Dearest…" he purred, smiling when her eyes softened at him, "Would you mind terribly to attend to young Nathaniel for the evening? I am sure he can keep our little Dionysius entertained and suitably silent for a while."

Roselyn smiled tiredly, "You may be correct, beloved. Do inform Rowena to rest easy, I shall attend to Nathaniel… it has been too long since I have had the pleasure of his company."

Salazar nodded and ended the call. When he returned he saw that Rowena was already awake and looking rather distraught. His brother held her hand and was whispering softly in her ear but she still looking shaken with whatever the vision told her.

"Salazar…" she looked at him with wide, glazed eyes. "Salazar, you must do something… please."

The younger Slytherin frowned questioningly at his brother before turning to his sister-in-law, "Rowena, tell me what troubles you, dear sister, I shall do everything in my power to help."

"Many years from now, the magical world will be in great peril." She shuddered and looked at her husband, "There will be two heirs… one shunned and another worshipped. Tom Marvolo Riddle will be your heir, Salazar and Hadrian Lucian Snape will be yours Adrianus."

She waved her wand wordlessly and a soft, ghostly image of a tall, lean man with short, wavy black hair and sharp turquoise eyes appeared before them. Although the man was young, there was no mistaking the aura of delicious dark power and authority.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle, cunning, ruthless, sly and a visionary who losses the sight of his goal. This is your heir Salazar… he will either heal or destroy the magical world."

She waved wand once again conjuring the image of a young man who looked remarkably like the Adrianus. Piercing green eyes set in an aristocratic visage and a beautiful face framed by long bangs of ebony and blond hair. The boy was of moderate height and possessed a slender body that spoke of swiftness and agility of a snake.

"Hadrian Lucian Snape, an intelligent, skilled and kind young man with a tired soul. This is your heir Adrianus… our descendent. He is Riddle's soul-mate and without him… without him everything will come to ruin."

"Rowena…" her husband whispered, "What are you trying to tell us?"

Tears clouded her eyes, "I do not understand myself, beloved. The world is so prejudiced and corrupt… the leaders are incompetent… and… and very thing that we hold dear is slowly dieing. Vampires are being killed, werewolves are despised, veelas are used in slave trade. Magic is dieing."

Salazar sat down heavily on the chair and Godric scowled. The expression on everyone's faces was grave. "The Noble name of the House of Slytherin has been dragged to the mud. Dark magic has been foolishly banned and blood rituals have been made illegal."

"Preposterous!" Godric exclaimed, "Dear sister, are you certain that you vision says the truth. People cannot be so ignorant that…"

"I fear that the vision is not false, Godric." Rowena said solemnly. "And it would seem that the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of two very jaded young men who must first learn to understand and accept the love that is between them before trying right what has gone terribly wrong. There are three paths before them. A path where Tom Riddle rules and the world is filled with evil and malice. A path where Tom Riddle is defeated and the society continues to decay… finally putting an end to magic. Then there is a path where both of them unite and Hadrian Snape's intelligence and skills guide Tom to the right path and the world slowly begins the process of healing."

She looked up to Salazar with pleading grey eyes, "Salazar… forgive me for my ignorance. I never believed you when you predicted this… when you said that this would happen. You are the only one who can correct this… Salazar, you know this."

"Rowena," Adrianus scowled, "There is little Salazar can do to help the matter."

Salazar frowned, his eyes gazing steadily into space. "I know what you wish of me Rowena… but it will be difficult."

Adrianus narrowed his eyes on his sibling, "Explain."

"She wishes for me to somehow establish communication with young Mr. Riddle, brother. It is possible since he is my heir and he is the one that needs convincing not Hadrian." He glanced at his brother with a small, amused smirk, "Your heir inherited your wisdom, brother." He shook his head, "Traveling through time is never a simple matter." He said carefully, "But traveling to the past is much simpler than traveling to the future."

"Yes." Adrianus agreed, "Past is set in stone but the future is always changing, past can only be altered when we travel back in time and change it but the future is affected by every single action he perform, consciously or unconsciously in the present. Traveling to the future is nearly impossible"

"May be…" Godric whispered as he looked at Salazar shrewdly, "But when has that stopped our resident genius from trying?"

Salazar narrowed his eyes. The younger Slytherin leaned back in his chair, his eyes clouding in thought before he snapped his finger, "Rena!"

His house-elf appeared before him soundlessly and bowed, "How can Rena serve you master?"

Salazar looked at the house-elf with narrowed eyes, "I have three rolls of papyrus parchments in my cabinet. Bring one of them along with the vile of Nile water and my ritual dagger."

Adrianus smirked, "Very good, little brother."

Godric and Rowena looked at the brothers in confusion and Adrianus started to explain, "Papyrus and Nile water have one thing in common, can you tell me what it is, dear heart?"

Rowena scowled, "Egypt, husband, the answer is rather obvious."

"Yes, Egypt…" He smirked, "The land of Gods and of eternal riches, a land that is alive… preserved in time by some unknown power. Egypt, dearest, is magic. Every grain of sand, each drop of water… everything… even the air is saturated with ancient magic. The magic that is timeless and ageless."

Salazar chuckled, "They will aid in the spell I am about to perform."

Rowena narrowed her eyes and turned to Salazar, who looked at her impassively. "Rowena, I do not know at what time and place I would be able to meet a sane Tom Riddle who is able to accept my advice. However, I can make certain that Tom himself may summon me when the time is right. It is a simple matter of ensuring that the scroll that contains the spell to pull me through time lands safely in Tom's hands."

Godric grinned, "See what I mean by genius?"

Rowena glared at the blond haired man before turned to Salazar and Adrianus, her bookish nature came through as she leaned forward in anticipation, "What is this spell, Salazar?"

"Parseltongue." Both Salazar and Adrianus answered at the same time.

Rowena's brow ticked in annoyance while Godric nodded sagely, with a knowing '_ahh'_ escaping him.

Xxxx

(**_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – Chamber of Secrets: AD: 1946_**)

'**_Open_**'

The sibilant hiss granted Tom access to the Chamber of Secrets and he smirked at the familiar surroundings.

'**_Samira…_**' He called out at the basilisk that resided in the chamber and nearly smiled at the enormous creature slithered out of the mouth of Salazar Slytherin with her eyes closed to prevent him from death.

'**_Greetings Samira, I trust you have been well?_**' Tom questioned lightly and he conjured a plush chair and sat down.

The basilisk coiled around the chair, the large body moving gently and making a soft, grinding sound. '**_Greetings Young master. _**' The snake return with what seemed to be a bow and then, abruptly an old scroll fell onto his lap. '**_That scroll was entrusted to me by Lord Slytherin to give it to you. He himself will explain._**' The snake slithered away to give him some privacy.

Tom narrowed his eyes. It was a Papyrus parchment and there was a small seal on it, preventing him from opening the scroll. Under the seal, written in elegant swirls of Parseltongue, was a simple clue. '_Blood and name of the heir. _'

For a moment, he was indecisive. Even a single drop of blood could cause damage if it fell into the wrong hands. However, the basilisk had said that this scroll was from Lord Slytherin…

With narrowed eyes, he summoned his ritual dagger and carved a small cut on his finger before smearing the blood onto the seal.

The scroll burned in his hands and Tom abruptly dropped it before recalling that he had to state his name. He scowled at the fallen parchment, "Tom Marvolo Riddle."

For a moment, there was no reaction. Then the parchment started to glow gently and the light spread, rising from it, towards the ceiling.

Slowly, a figure started appearing before him. Tom could not help but watch in open-mouthed disbelief as a figure, he knew to be Salazar Slytherin appeared before him. The man stood at about six feet with long, silky black hair and _very _familiar emerald eyes. Tall and lean, the man was the picture of aristocratic elegance with fine, regal features.

'**_Ahhh… you are my heir, I can see it in your eyes._**' The man hissed and Tom stood quickly, nearly blushing under that amused gaze.

'**_That would be correct Lord Slytherin. My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle._**' Tom said with respect and awe filling his voice. He just could not believe that standing in front of him was Salazar Slytherin. He quickly conjured another seat for the founder and watched at the older man inspected the chamber and smirked at the statue of his elderly self. "My my…" he murmured in amusement, "What an unflattering sculpture."

Tom stayed silent; waiting for the founder to finish the survey of the chamber. "Please sit down Mr. Riddle, we have much to discuss and very little time." Slytherin said in English. Tom sat down and tried not to squirm under those familiar, penetrating eyes. The similarities between the founder and his new acquaintance Hadrian was so astounding that it left him speechless. If it were not for the obvious age difference and hair color, length and a few other features, Tom would have mistaken man for Harry.

"Few months the birth of my first son and heir, my dearest heart-sister Rowena had a vision." Salazar started seriously, "She told me of this vision, her voice drenched in dread at the fate of our world. She told me of you… my shunned heir, the son of a muggle and one of my primary descendents."

Tom nearly winced but did not dare turning away from those eyes. "According to her, there are only three paths the world would take, and you, my heir, are the deciding factor."

The younger wizard sat up straight and narrowed his eyes in calculation. This was important and he could not afford to be star-struck now.

Salazar noticed the change immediately and nodded in approval. "You will be the Dark Lord. That much is inevitable but it is in your power to cleanse our world and bring it back up to its former glory where magic had free reign." Although Tom was pleased that he was destined to be great, he did not let it show. He knew there was more and he was right.

"Three destinies. You will fight to save this world but in time… with the corruption of your soul, all of your goals will be forgotten. You will rejoice in torture, rape and murder, cherish the sight of blood and hunger, violence and death. The light does not understand your goals but they see your ruthlessness and they will try to destroy you. You, in your ignorance will try to destroy the very thing that you started out to save. The Light will win and you will be destroyed… leaving a scar on the wizarding world."

Tom winced and closed his eyes against the pure fury in Slytherin's eyes.

"Or it may so happen that you will win and madness will spread like disease. You will ban light magic in your ignorance and kill muggle-borns. The society will decay and our world will be filled with barbarians willing to kill and cause blood-shed and misery." Slytherin closed his eyes before opening them and looking at Tom seriously.

"However, you have been given a gift." Slytherin whispered and Tom lifted his distraught gaze to look at the man he had admired for so long. "You have a soul-mate who has the power to change everything. He will destroy you if you stray on to the wrong path and support you if you stay true to your goals. His power and influence will mould you and shape a world that will be right. It will not be perfect; the world will still have crime, unsettlement, poverty and other such social evils that are inevitable in a dynamic society." Salazar informed, "You know in your heart, the identity of your soul-mate and your soul-mate knows very well that you are the one he is destined for."

Tom's eyes went wide. "You _must_ find him and court him and make him yours. You_ must _listen to what he says… he is skilled and knows many things that you do not know. He has the power that you can never possess." The Lord sighed, "He will be your life, love, family and soul and you must not lose him."

The scroll started to glow again and Salazar smiled a small smile in farewell, "Remember that which I have said and take care. Fare thee well, my heir." He whispered before disappearing.

Tom sat there was a long while… trying to comprehend the fact that Salazar Slytherin had been pulled through time to explain to him the importance of his destiny… the importance of his mate.

Xxxx

Tom walked into the Slytherin common room in a slight daze. The burden of his destiny was weighing heavily on his shoulders. If what Salazar Slytherin said was true then until he finds his soul mate, he is doomed.

The thought unsettled him. He did not know who his soul mate was, how was he supposed to find this person and prevent the horrible destruction of the world he loved?

His mate was the one who had the power to defeat the Dark Lord, the one who had the power that he could never possess.

He pondered over the people he already knew… people he considered his friends.

Alexander Snape?

Tom shook his head. No, Alexander was powerful in his own right; he was the legacy of a very powerful clan. The Snapes were the direct descendents of Rowena Ravenclaw and her unknown husband. They were blessed with high levels of intelligence and an innate understanding of the world.

However, Alexander was not someone who could over-power him. Alexander would follow him to hell and back. He would not stand against him if he took the wrong path.

Abraxas Malfoy?

Tom did not even consider him as a possibility. Malfoy was too arrogant… too self-serving to stand up to him.

Jonathan Weasley?

Hmm… that was a possibility considering how close he was to Jonathan. But Jonathan was essentially a grey wizard. He was an expert healer not capable of using too much dark arts to defeat him.

Cygnus Black…?

A possibility. Even at a young age, Black is a prodigy. Powerful and a skilled duelist with a very good command over Black magic, Cygnus was someone who could stand up to him but defeat him? He shook his head, Cygnus had this scholarly interest in magic… he would rather lock himself up in a library and research all day long.

Hadrian Beaumont…

_That _name gave him a pause. He did not know much about Harry. However, Tom knew that there was a possibility that Harry could defeat him. His _Sight_ gave him an adv…

'**_He is skilled and knows many things that you can never know…_**'

'**_He has a power you can never possess…_**'

Tom sat down on the leather couch and narrowed his eyes. '_There is no doubt. Harry is my soul mate… I can sense it. However, that would mean that he knows this. He knows what stands before us but how?_' The future Dark Lord scowled, turquoise eyes flashing dangerously, '_What games are you trying to play, my sly little one? Why does this seem so convenient? You arriving abruptly and gaining my attention with such ease… your skill and knowledge and your knowing stare. It is as though you know everything that I do not…_'

His was brought out of his musings when Jonathan stepped in with his arm draped over Alexander's shoulders. His red haired friend was limping. Tom raised a brow as they sat down, "Another accident? Jonathan, it would help you dearly to learn some grace… until then you will be forever accident prone."

Weasley scowled at him and Alexander chuckled, "Just this once, the blame lies in his stupidity, not in his gracelessness."

Jonathan scoffed, "Yes, remind me never to anger Beaumont. I swear those eyes could kill."

Tom narrowed his eyes, "What did you do?"

Alex smirked, "He just went ahead and groped Hadrian. Really, Weasley… he might not be interested in men."

Jonathan snorted and then groaned, "He is too lovely to be with some bimbo, Alex. Come now; tell me you don't think he is pretty."

"He is, I will admit that." Alex conceded, "But somehow I do not feel attracted to him. Besides, lovely or not, he is still male with lightning fast reflexes."

"He strikes faster than a bloody snake." Jonathan complained before looking at Tom. He was taken aback by the icy seriousness on that fine face. "Tom? Is something the matter?"

Tom frowned, pondering whether to tell his friends or not.

With a small shake of his head, he raised privacy wards and started speaking.

Half an hour later, Alex and Jonathan leaned back, slightly dazed and worried about their friend.

"So, he is your soul mate." Jonathan murmured at last, "What are you going to do about it?" He questioned.

Tom frowned, "What do you mean?"

Alex frowned, "You have to do something Tom. From what I know about soul mates, they are constantly trying to catch each other's attention and affection. However, from what I have observed in Hadrian… he is trying to stay away from you without being obvious about it."

"So, there is a possibility that he may not be my mate?" Tom questioned with a frown. That would make things complicated, considering that; he was already attracted to Harry.

Alex shook his head, "I am not saying that. I think that he knows that you are his soul mate and he does not want it."

Tom's eyes flashed dangerously, "Are you saying that he does not want to be my mate?"

Jonathan scowled, "I am afraid so…" He looked thoughtfully at Tom, "We have known him for a two weeks Tom and yet we are not able to form opinions about him."

"He is correct. Hadrian is _different_. He seems so gentle and fragile with those kind smiles and understanding eyes but there is a distinct aura of darkness that I cannot disregard." Alex said, "He looks at you with guarded eyes while he is relaxed around Jonathan, Cygnus and I." Shaking his head, Alex frowned at those hard turquoise eyes, "It is as though he knows something about you that we do not…"

Tom tensed. That was one possibility. Dumbledore suspected that he had opened the Chamber of Secrets… Dumbledore suspected that he had murdered his father and grandparents. May be, he had told Hadrian about it…

It did not make sense.

Just as they were about to continue their discussion, the object of their thoughts walked into the room and paused at their intense stares.

Hadrian was looking very tired but he had the air of satisfaction around him that told Tom that he had just returned from a duel with his father. He tilted his head to the side and raised a brow at them. "Is something the matter?"

When the three of them did not answer, Tom saw Harry narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"Alexander… Jonathan… excuse us, we will meet you later tonight." Tom rose from his seat and grasped Harry elbow, leading him towards his room.

Harry looked at him inquiringly, "What is this all about?" There was a hint of impatience in Harry voice but Tom chose to disregard it. He had no doubts that Harry was tired… his father was not lenient when they dueled.

The portrait slid close behind them and Tom leaned against it, watching Harry through half-lidded eyes. "I went down to the Chamber of Secrets today."

Harry stiffened at the unexpected statement and Tom hid a smirk… somehow, Harry knew what it was. "The monster of the Chamber… a basilisk Samira gave me a rather interesting parchment."

Harry did not turn to face him, "What is the chamber of secrets? And why would that concern me?"

Tom shrugged, "Judging by your instinctual reaction, I suspect you already know what it is…" he did not bother to hide his smirk now, "That parchment had an interesting spell on it. It pulled Salazar Slytherin through time for a brief moment."

"How can you be sure that the man was Lord Slytherin?" Harry questioned reasonably.

"Parseltongue." He answered, "He was either Lord Slytherin or someone of his descent."

Harry tilted his head to the side but did not comment. Tom took a slow step forward, not bothering to hide his amusement when Harry tensed visibly. "He told me that Lady Ravenclaw had a vision… a vision that involves both of us."

At that, Harry inhaled sharply, his eyes closing in dread. "He said that my destiny is to become the dark lord and cleanse this world, give magic the free reign. However, he also said that there are three paths before me. Two of which I find undesirable and one in which I require your companionship."

Harry swallowed, trying to compose himself. It was too early… how was he supposed to lead a normal life when fates did not leave him alone?

He jumped when a pair of strong arms slipped around him, pulling him back against a silk-clad chest. "I hate when people try to manipulate me… I despise it when people hide things from me that I _should _know." Riddle leaned down, his lips brushing against Harry's ear, "Tell me, Hadrian… is the thought that you are my soul-mate that horrifying to you?"

"NO!" Harry cried out, "Its not that Tom… it's just…"

"Just what?" Tom hissed in rage, now that Harry confirmed his suspicions, he just could not contain the anger he felt coursing through him. "What possible reason can you give me to explain your actions?"

Harry took a deep breath to steady himself but Tom's arms were like an iron band tightening around his chest. He could feel the red-hot anger pouring off him in crimson waves. "Tom… please."

The grip did not ease but his plea seemed to have lessened some of Tom's anger. Harry could not help but feel trapped. He did not know how to handle the situation… how could he answer a question like that without revealing his past to him. "There are few things I cannot tell you… please Tom… try to understand."

"Few things that you cannot tell me?" Tom questioned harshly, "You have not told me anything… you haven't given me the slightest clue." In his rage, he grasped Harry's arms and turned in around to face him. The look in those haunted eyes did not deter him. "You would have let the matter rest… risking everything to escape a bond that has not even come to fruition? What manner of foolishness is this? You would have caused both of us immense pain, surely you knew that?"

Harry looked away, his lips thinning as he tired to control the desperation he felt bubbling in his chest. "I would have told you… or you would have understood by yourself… eventually we would start feeling the bond between us… I needed that time."

Tom stepped away from him, a vein prominent on his jaw. Harry stilled before his eyes hardened in determination. Taking a deep breath, he looked at his soul mate's icy features, "Tell me how much you know." He whispered and looked imploring into those hard turquoise eyes. "Please."

Tom sighed and closed his eyes in irritation before he brought forth a pensieve. He placed his memories of the encounter with Lord Slytherin

As Harry went through the pensieve, he couldn't help but think that the situation was entirely different here, than in the alternate future he came from. Tom was not the Dark Lord yet… his ideals were still in their infancy. He did not seem to possess any pureblood prejudice… in fact; the only one who seemed to be vocal about it was Malfoy.

He pondered over Lord Slytherin's warnings and understood them frighteningly well. The three paths were all too real for him. He was not foolish enough to disregard the possibility that one of them will come true.

It was up to him. Which path Tom chose for the future was based on his decision.

'_And all I wanted was an ordinary life without violence and political games._'

However, the Prophecy…

The prophecy that Trelawney predicted was no longer valid, was it? Considering that, his father's spell caused them to replace their counterparts in this dimension.

The prophecy would not come into existence.

'_That hardly matters now, does it?_' A voice in his mind suggested mildly, '_Lady Ravenclaw's vision seems to have replaced the prophecy… only now you have the chance to save the Magical world as well as Tom. Now you have something positive to look forward to in the future. You can keep Tom and prevent the destruction of the Magical world… all you have to do is use you knowledge of the future and your understanding of magic to guide Tom onto the right path and then sit back… let him achieve his dream of healing our world._'

Was that really a daunting prospect? He pondered with a frown. He had little to lose and so much to gain.

However, he would have to be cautious… constantly vigilant.

May be, he could do this. May be he could survive this.

He raised his head to look at Tom's unforgiving face and wondered how he should explain himself.

Xxx

Severus Snape nursed his whiskey as he pondered over his son's latest visit to his chambers.

The child had come to him, visibly distraught and confused. There was no hiding the pain in those emerald eyes. Had Harry been anyone else, Severus was sure he would have shed some tears.

His little one had gone on to explain about the startling events of the day and Severus was uncertain whether to be grateful that his son was getting a push in the right direction or be dismayed by the sheer amount of pain and confusion it was causing him.

Mr. Riddle (for he could never refer to the young man as Voldemort as there were obvious differences between the two personas) had been rather _open_ in sharing such vital information. Severus wondered how such a boy came to be the formidable Dark Lord who wouldn't even consider trusting his most loyal servants.

He was ready to pin this on youth considering that Mr. Riddle… though an undoubtedly vindictive young man, was far less cynical and more naïve than Lord Voldemort. However, he was uncertain.

Harry was Riddle's soul mate. Instincts would play an enormous role in their behavior towards each other. There was also the fact that Riddle had been enraged with what he presumed to be a betrayal. As his soul mate, Harry should have been devoted and loyal to Tom. The fact that he was not caused Riddle's instincts to war with his pride.

Lord Voldemort had never shown any love for Harry, but he obsessed over him. Severus had spent long hours telling the Dark Lord almost everything about Harry that was safe to tell.

What he observed of Riddle… his interest in Harry seemed the same, only this time, the affection was quickly forming.

Severus took a sip of his drink and frowned. He was of two minds over the matter.

The parent in him wanted to keep his little boy hidden away from the pain and worry that would no doubt surface in that relationship while the rational man recognized the futility of trying to escape such a destiny.

'_It is for your own good, Harry._'


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **_**Fate's Fickle Hand**_

**Author: **_**Sinistersmiles**_

**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own The Harry Potter series. **_

**Warnings: **_**SLASH**__**! Tom Riddle/Harry Potter. Severus Snape is Harry's father. Occasional grammar and spelling mistakes might occur, as English is not my primary language. Dark Harry! Time Travel!**_

**Summery: **_**Dark and prodigious; Tom Riddle can manipulate everyone to his advantage until he encounters the mysterious and enchanting Hadrian Beaumont. What he does not know is that Hadrian Beaumont is his soul mate, who was previously known as Harry James Potter.**_

**AN: **_**Certain facts in this chapter are different from the cannon (Especially what was revealed in the book "Deathly Hallows"). However, since this is an 'Alternate Universe' fic, please excuse me. **_

Xxxx

Sparkling blue eyes observed the numerous students assembled for breakfast with a small, pleased smile. There was nothing more delightful than to watch innocent children enjoying friendship and camaraderie, too involved in their own little problems to worry about the darkness spreading like a disease in the Wizard world.

Dumbledore crossed his fingers under his chin and continued his observation. He wanted to preserve that innocence as long as he could. He wanted everyone to have good memories that will soothe him or her in hard times.

That was why he became a teacher. He wanted to cherish the gift the children brought to their world with their innocent, affectionate eyes, their petulant pouts and their pure smiles.

His eyes landed on one particular group of students.

Slytherins.

Thin lips formed a secretive little smile.

Slytherins were usually the smartest students amongst the houses and that he why he found himself being particularly fond of his Slytherin students.

Wise blue eyes landed on the regal figure of Tom Riddle and darkened somewhat in sadness.

Tom was an interesting boy. Those blue eyes hid so many secrets that he found himself intrigued. He had known that Tom had something to do with the mysterious murder of the Riddles but he had little evidence. He needed to know if there was any connection because then he could help the poor boy understand that sometimes forgiveness was the only key to peace.

Tom had such a tormented soul, even amongst friends; he was lonely and detached, deliberately separating himself from others. He did not wish for the legacy that was Salazar Slytherin to fade away like that. The boy was brilliant and it would take little for him to rise to greatness, Albus just wished that Tom could trust him to guide him to the right path.

Albus raised a brow when he saw raw emotion pass through Tom's eyes. He followed the intent gaze to another mysterious student.

Hadrian Beaumont.

Subconsciously, his pensive features relaxed and his sparkling eyes became tender. The boy was magical; there was no other way to describe him. There was not a single person in Hogwarts who did not fall for the boy's gentle eyes and small, mysterious smiles. He could not count the number of times Severus had been congratulated for having such a fine son.

Something about Hadrian that drew people towards him, something that caused everyone to look at him with adoring eyes. He wished to know as much as he could about the unusual boy, so different from his other students.

Therefore, he had once questioned Severus casually about the boy's mother. The answer had been curt; Hadrian had never met his mother. She had died a few months after his birth.

He had not asked anything after that. The father was protective of his son, that much was obvious and he seemed to be wary of Albus for some inexplicable reason.

As though sensing his gaze on him, Hadrian tilted his head slightly to look at him, his eyes flashing in slight confusion.

A sentence he read somewhere in ancient texts immediately came to his mind.

_The eyes of merciful death._

Something clicked then and he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. He recalled the book from which he had borrowed that sentence and glanced at the two Slytherins.

Xxx

As soon as the breakfast was over, Dumbledore quickly excused himself and went to his chambers.

His movements had a sense of urgency as he searched for a specific book.

_There_

He found it. It was an old, leather bound book. It was thin and fragile, so much so that he often feared that it would crumble beneath the gentle touch of his fingers.

He opened it to find Lady Ravenclaw's elegant handwriting spin the tale about the construction and the first successful years of Hogwarts as a premiere educational institution. Something written by her had caught his attention the moment he read it.

_Everything was going so well. Salazar had recently acquired a fine heir that he had proudly named Dionysius Salazar Slytherin. I myself was heavy with my second child and Nathaniel was growing up to be just like my beloved._

_It was during this peaceful period that I got a horrifying vision. To think that the name of the Noble serpent clan would be so disgraced caused me great sorrow. As I write these words down, I think of my words as not prophetic, but rather a method to curb the growing dread within my heart._

_I have seen two heirs of the Slytherin clan, two beautiful children molded into strong men by pain and sadness that was predominant in their lives. The mother within me aches with sorrow to see them struggle, I wish to embrace them to my breast and protect them from a corrupted world that demands so much from these innocent hearts._

_But alas, fate has tied my hands and my arms cannot reach them. _

_They are soul mates, bound by ties that go far beyond life and death, beyond time and space, their connection is too strong to break yet so fragile and beautiful._

_I can envision them perfectly in my mind. One of them reminds me so distinctly of my husband that I wonder if my beloved has been reincarnated into that tormented soul. The heir of Adrianus Slytherin with those same eyes that were the color of merciful death, the same kind and silent demeanor and the same wisdom that comes from shouldering responsibilities he was much too young to bear, just like my husband, his ancestor. _

_My beautiful child who cries silent tears._

_Then my mind draws of the image of a handsome young man, proud and elegant and it makes me wonder how such a rational young man could ever lose his sanity. Those clear, pale blue eyes look so composed and intelligent. Salazar's heir is so unlike him that it baffles me. Yes, my brother-in-law is cunning, ambitious and at times, he can be rather indifferent and unkind, but never ruthless._

_My only hope is the conversation that Salazar had with his heir because of that spell. I can only pray that he was able to convince the boy to understand the situation and act accordingly or our world will come to ruin._

X

Albus closed the book and sighed. Placing it carefully on the desk before him, he looked at it for a long while, wondering whether any of this was actually linked to Tom Riddle and Hadrian Beaumont.

The vague physical descriptions certainly matched. Hadrian did look of Slytherin descent. Those eyes, the manner in which she described them, fit perfectly.

The color of merciful death.

The painless death caused by _Avada Kedevra._

The personality descriptions also matched. Had he not used the same words to describe that child, himself? Kind, silent and wise?

What he could not comprehend was the supposed link to Salazar's older brother Adrianus Slytherin. From what he could discern, Lady Ravenclaw was married to him and so it would mean that the boy would have to be a Snape to have any connections with him, as the Snape line was the only one that was linked to Lady Ravenclaw.

Hadrian was not a Snape. But young Alexander was, however, Albus could see that the descriptions did not match at all. Alexander was nothing like the boy Lady Ravenclaw described.

The description she gave of the other boy struck him. The boy reminded him strongly of Tom. It was exactly how Lady Ravenclaw described, the eyes, the personality and the fact that Tom was capable of appalling ruthlessness.

He just could not disregard the vague physical hints she gave.

The appearance of a wizard was a strong indicator of the family to which he belongs. The Malfoys have always enjoyed their pale blonde locks and steel grey eyes, along with the tall, yet slender built.

The Weasleys have always been rather temperamental redheads with pale blue eyes and lanky bodies.

The Potters have always had hazel colored eyes with wild hair and rather weak eyesight.

The Blacks are blessed with aristocratic looks, jet-black hair and icy blue and grey eyes.

The Snapes possess the unnatural looks similar to that of vampires with pale skin, black hair and stunning obsidian eyes

However, there have been rare occasions where a child possesses the traits of the ancestors that existed even before their clan came into existence.

Dumbledore shook his head. It was pointless. Hadrian was not a Snape and therefore not a descendent of Adrianus Slytherin.

However, if he was somehow related to the Slytherin and the child that Lady Ravenclaw saw in her vision, Albus would do everything in his power to see to it that ill-fate would not befall upon their world.

Xxxx

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. The last week had been horrible for him. Tom's anger was palpable, his icy stares shook Harry to the core but… but he was too wounded to trust Tom, too many things had happened for him to actually submit to his feelings.

He ran a pale hand through his hair and scowled, his Transfiguration assignment was before him, complete. He set it aside for the ink to dry before he leaned back and looked at the ceiling.

The discussion he had with his father had not helped. Severus Snape was a pragmatic man and therefore he did not consider his actions logical. His father had told him, head on, that he should tell Tom Riddle everything that was safe to tell.

His mind went back to the conversation he had had with his father.

Xx

"_I do not know what to do." Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "How can I tell him? How can I when I do not trust him enough to take the right path?"_

_Severus nursed his goblet of fire-whiskey and eyed his son shrewdly. "The powers of divination and prophecy that Rowena Ravenclaw possessed are not to be underestimated, Harry." He said softly, "If it is with your assistance that our world can be saved and reformed, than why are you hesitating? You have always been willing to sacrifice in order to save others. You sacrificed your soul-mate, did you not?"_

_Harry winced and lowered his head to look at this folded hands. "You have nothing to lose and everything to gain if you take this one chance." Severus told him as he leaned forward. "Look at me, son." He said as he lifted Harry's chin to meet to confused eyes. "You know many things about magic and society in general that Riddle chooses to ignore. If both of you work together, you can come up with a way to heal our society and it will take time and patience. However, without your assistance, Riddle will get corrupted."_

"_Why is my participation so important?" Harry asked softly, "What makes me so special? I do not have a desire for greatness as Tom does, nor do I care much for a society that has caused me nothing but pain. Let them reap what they have sown."_

_Severus scowled. "Have you ever considered the possibility that Riddle's soul may have been corrupted because his soul-mate was out of his reach? Think about it, Harry, you have known what it is like to live without one's soul-mate."_

_Harry ran a trembling hand through his hair. It was a cruel twist of fate that had kept the two of them away from each other. He did not understand it. If he was Tom Riddle's soul mate than why was it so that he was born so many decades after Tom Riddle? _

"_Fickle Fate." He murmured sarcastically and Severus smirked. _

Xx

He made his decision and stood up.

Xxxx

Tom stilled when he felt a hand on his back. He did not need to turn to see who it was; the feel of intense magic sizzling in the air was enough to prove the person's identity.

"We need to talk." Tom raised a brow, after a week of being silent, now he wanted to talk. Icy blue eyes narrowed and he took a step forward. He needed to calm his anger before he could bring himself to talk with him.

The hand fisting into his cloak stopped him. He could feel Harry's forehead pressing into his back and narrowed his eyes in warning at the students who lingered curiously to watch what was going on. This would spark rumors throughout the castle but Tom was not worried about that.

He was angry with Harry but he did not want to be. He kept silent because he knew he would say something cruel and unforgivable if he opened his mouth. He did not care much for what happened to Wizarding world. He did not care if their blind prejudice and selfish behavior led to their own downfall.

Kindness was not his forte. He was not a hero of any sort.

However, he wanted his Harry by his side. If Harry himself did not want it, why would Tom concern himself with other things in life? Why would he be concerned if anything happened to their world?

His silence seemed to upset Harry somewhat because the boy withdrew and stepped back with a sigh. "Seek me out when you feel ready to talk."

Tom turned swiftly and caught Harry's hand while their audience almost leaned forward in interest. "We will talk." Then he gave a sharp tug on the boy's wrist, pulling Harry along with him.

Emerald eyes glittered in amusement as he easily kept up with Tom's swift stride. He remembered that he had dragged his father to the Room of Requirement in a similar fashion. The whispers of speculation were starting around them. Other students seemed baffled by their behavior.

It was times as these he wondered why people were so interested in him. Tom, he could understand, he was an enigmatic and charming man in their eyes. However, he was just the new kid.

Shaking his head slightly, he looked at Tom's impassive face and bit back a sigh. He walked out of the castle in silence and Harry knew where Tom was leading him.

It was towards the lake.

The grip on his wrist loosened as soon as they reached their destination and he moved back, leaning against a tree, looking at Tom with hooded eyes. The silence that surrounded them was tense with anticipation. Tom wanted his questions answered.

His clear eyes were intent, silently demanding. Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Letting his eyes roam, checking the surroundings. It was a tactic to gather his thoughts. He needed to think how he wanted to start the conversation.

Tom was getting a little impatient judging by the slight tapping of his fingers on his bicep.

"Have you ever wondered why do you want to be a Dark Lord, Tom?" He questioned lightly, "Fame, recognition? I know you enough to tell that your motives are not selfless. I would be a fool to assume that." Sharp green eyes bored into calm cerulean.

Tom frowned at the question, "I don't want to be forgotten. I do not want to be a mere memory in a few peoples' minds. I want to be someone they can not forget, if alongside my goal I attain my ancestor's goal too…" he shrugged before looking at Harry intently, "They slander the name of my clan, sneer at Slytherins just because they do not understand the importance of Dark magic." Clear eyes glittered wrathfully, "They will know then that it is a mistake to abandon children of magic in orphanages."

"And what do you think was Lord Slytherin's goal?" Harry asked softly, "Do you really know what he wanted?"

"The cleansing of our world, stopping the corruption of our world and the weakening of magic, exterminating all muggles and muggle-borns from the magical community, I am certain that is what he wanted." Tom said impassively.

Harry sighed and shook his head; he should have known that Tom would misunderstand the Lord Slytherin's message. "You are wrong." He said resolutely, looking at Tom with narrowed eyes, "You are a smart man, think about it, if there were only pure-bloods in our world, how long it will take for inbreeding to destroy our race? You know of the Gaunts, do you not? They are your relatives after all, you know the insanity that runs in their blood, the insanity you escaped by being a half-blood."

Harry leaned forward, his eyes soft and soothing, trying to stall Tom anger while he made his point, "Do you doubt your own strength, Tom? Both you and I know just how powerful you are capable of being, more powerful than any pureblood you have encountered, have you not benefited by the muggle blood in your veins?"

Tom snorted, turning his head away to look at the placid lake. "You know I am speaking the truth Tom, don't let your pride get in the way and think rationally. You wanted me to tell you everything, I am doing just that."

"How can you be so certain that I am wrong? You know what has happened since muggle-borns have started invading our world, you are not a fool either, Harry, I know you see it too." Keen eyes looked at him, stubborn and insistent.

Harry sighed, folding his arms with a slight, rueful smile. He should have known it would not be easy. "Yes," he admitted, "I can see it but there are ways to take care of that problem."

Tom let of a frustrated hiss and glared at Harry through icy turquoise eyes. "What is it that you really want to say, Harry?"

The smaller boy turned away from him and Tom scowled, "Let us see some of that mysterious knowledge… Lord Slytherin said that you know many things that I do not. I need proof."

"Think back on my very first question, Tom. What made you decide to be a Dark Lord? Why is that ambition so solid? Have you ever once wavered in your decision to be a Dark Lord?" There was something behind Harry questions and Tom could sense it. He frowned. He suddenly felt skeptical. He looked at Harry for answers to the questions he had voiced but the boy was not looking at him.

"'_Senior__Diluculo_, _Senior Crepusculum_ and _Senior Nox Noctis'_ Do you know what that means, Tom?"

"'Lord Dawn, Lord Dusk and Lord Night'?" Tom answered, wondering why Harry suddenly mentioned such a thing. "What does it mean?"

"Light, Grey, Dark..." Harry turned to him, almost smirking at the startled expression on the usually stoic face. "The _Dominatio Concilium_, as they called it, was an arcane form of Democracy. Magic itself selected them; they were picked at a very young age, compelled by an unknown force to take up their role in the society."

Tom's eyes widened in realization and he looked at Harry. "Each side of Magic was represented. The Light disliked Dark Magic because they knew what kind of effect it had on Light Wizards. Light Magic weakened Dark Wizards and so they disliked White Magic. Neutral Wizards were generally considered the weaker sect of society. All of these sides needed an equal stand and so Magic created the Lords' Council. Do you understand what I am trying to say, Tom?"

"No side defines evil but any side can be evil." Harry whispered, "Dark is not evil but that also means that Light is not pure. Actions of a person should not be judged based on the kind of magic he wields. There have been many White lords who have turned 'Dark', which doesn't mean that they had started practicing Dark Magic, it means that they had turned evil."

Tom's hunger for knowledge came forth and he temporarily forgot his anger. What Harry was telling him was entirely too fascinating to ignore. "To reach our destined goal, there is a long, hard road, Tom. There is no scope for us to lead a normal life, not scope for us to… raise a family and ensure their safety. Our society has forgotten many important things, slowly we must teach then those ideals again. We must teach them the true meaning of magic, the true meaning of Dark magic and Light Magic and the Grey Arts. However, you must be the first to learn, the question is, are you willing?"

Sharp green eyes met clouded blue when Harry asked that question. Tom stayed silent for a long while, his thoughts muddled with everything he had just learned. He knew what Harry said was the truth; he knew not to question his soul mate's knowledge. His blind faith in the source of the information rattled him. Harry was just a boy… younger to him, the fact that he was ready to accept the knowledge that came from such a dubious source left him with a distinct sense of unease.

Nevertheless, he now understood Harry's reticence. Lord Slytherin had made it sound so simple, so easy. However, Harry… Harry had not said everything but what he did say was enough to make Tom realize this wasn't just about being a Dark Lord. No… this was so much more.

"We can't turn away?" Tom questioned softly, "From this destiny of ours? Can we ignore it?"

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. He did not know what to say. He had been asking the same question to himself ever since he came to this dimension. Could he turn away?

"I don't know." He answered, "And I am frightened to find out what would happen if we did."

Harry left Tom to his thoughts as he walked towards the shore of the lake, He watched as the faint breeze created small ripples on the surface of the lake, finding the peaceful environment soothing his frazzled nerves. "I won't stand by your side like a trophy wife of some sort while you get lost in bloodlust and destroy everything both of us love and cherish, just because you did not know what it actually means to be a Dark Lord." He said softly, "It wouldn't take much for you to become the monster Lord Slytherin warned you about if you continue down that path."

"How do you know so much about me? About all this?" Tom questioned shrewdly, as he came up behind Harry. He could feel those clear eyes on him, demanding the truth and Harry sighed and shook his head regretfully, "I cannot say."

"Cannot or will not, Harry?" There was softness in his voice that told Harry that with his honesty, he had affectively garnered his forgiveness.

Tom watched as Harry's head bowed, silky raven bangs shadowing his eyes. It was that very moment that he felt the first stirrings of attraction for his soul mate. He stepped closer, slowly, letting his fingers trail up Harry's arm. The touch was inquisitive; it was as though Tom was testing waters.

Harry stilled completely, his eyes widening somewhat. That touch was just as unexpected as the embrace Tom had trapped him in earlier that week. He sighed and closed his eyes, not objecting to the touch but not encouraging it either.

Tom frowned thoughtfully at Harry reaction, or the lack of it. He knew the Harry must have been feeling the same attraction he did. He stepped forward and closed his eyes, resigned. "Are you ready, Tom?" Harry asked softly as Tom pressed his forehead on Harry shoulder. "This destiny?"

Tom stayed silent and Harry knew that he was not ready. Neither of them was ready, not yet.

He felt Tom's distress as though it was his own and sighed silently, "Don't take this as my permission to court me, Riddle. There are many things about you that I dislike." He stated mildly, his eyes dancing in humor.

"There are things about you that I dislike as well." Tom countered and Harry chuckled. "We make quite a pair." He whispered, finally leaning into the touch.

Xxx

Shuffling of boots could be heard as a handful of elegantly clad men entered a richly decorated dining room. At the head of the table was a blond-haired person, although his posture was youthful, his face showed faint lines. His expression was warm and welcoming, deceptively amiable.

"Welcome…" He said with a deep, commanding voice, "I have called this meeting to discuss our fu…" he paused, his eyes landing on an empty chair. Seven of his followers were supposed to be present. He frowned thoughtfully, "Now where is my protégé, I wonder?" His keen eyes landed on a young, handsome boy, a pale brow arching in question.

Orion Black frowned, "From my cousin's letters, I can discern that something very interesting is happening at Hogwarts, my lord."

Gellert Grindelwald leaned forward, his blue eyes inquisitive, "Really, care to elaborate? I would like to know why Mr. Riddle is absent."

Orion shook his head, "I do not know why he is not present today, my lord. Forgive me but I can only report on the recent happenings within Hogwarts. I suppose that is what is stalling him."

Grindelwald waved of the apologetic statement and nodded, "Do continue."

The Black heir nodded in return, "There are two new wizards in Hogwarts, Severus Alexander Beaumont and his son Hadrian Lucian Beaumont. The father is the Potions Professor and the son is in seventh year, Slytherin."

"Beaumont?" Grindelwald raised a brow in mild astonishment. "I assumed that the last Beaumont died about thirty years ago?" He looked at his closest, most loyal supporter, Alfons Adler.

The regal looking old man frowned, "We can never be certain, my lord." He said shaking his head, "Beaumont is an old clan, and it is rather difficult to keep track of all its members."

Grindelwald nodded in acceptance and turned to Orion, motioning him to continue.

"The son, my lord, is proficient in Black Magic." The Black stated. Grindelwald nearly leaned forward in interest, "How proficient, Orion?"

"Cygnus was uncertain, but he did say that other than Black magic, the boy knows a lot about Blood Magic and rituals." His followers whispered amongst themselves, speculating and discussing about the new development.

Orion hesitated, looking at the Dark Lord uncertainly. Grindelwald raised a brow questioningly, "Yes?"

The Black heir sighed, running his fingers through his silk like hair in an uncharacteristic show of discomfort. "Cygnus speculates that there is something going on between Riddle and the boy."

Light blue eyes sparkled with interest and mild amusement; he was perceptive enough to understand what that slight hesitation meant. "Riddle showed uncharacteristic interest in the young Beaumont and the boy seemed unimpressed with Riddle, not believing his charismatic personality at all."

"Is that right?" Grindelwald smiled, "My, my, what an interesting development. I don't suppose it would be possible to summon the child to me for a while?"

Orion narrowed his eyes, "Considering Riddle… it will be difficult sir." Grindelwald tilted his head to the side thoughtfully as Orion continued, "You know he is an ambitious young man, sir."

"Of course I do, Orion." Grindelwald smiled somewhat fondly, "That is precisely why he is my apprentice. Should I fail in my goal to create an ideal World of Wizards, a Utopia by the likes of Atlantis, Tom will continue on my path in his own way, trying to achieve the same goal."

"I suspect he is gathering his own league of supporters. He had a tight knit circle of friends, my Lord, and all of them are veritable geniuses, each with their own unique talents."

The Dark Lord's lips quirked into an amused smile, "Much like my own circle of supporters…"

Orion carefully suppressed his own irritation at the blind faith his lord seemed to have on Riddle. However, he also knew that his lord was right. Despite Riddle's arrogance and lack of subservience to their lord, he still had the same goal in mind. His lord was not doing this out of selfishness; he was doing it because he saw the flaws in their world and wished to correct it.

Of course, his methods were somewhat hard to swallow. However, their situation was dire. The future of Dark Wizards was grim and they were on the verge of extinction.

People like Tom Riddle reminded him why, throughout history, one Dark Lord's downfall was followed by the rise of another.

"I will see what I can do, my lord."


End file.
